"We are going to produce Macworld New York in July 2003 and we are going to produce Macworld Boston in July 2004," Charlie Greco, IDG World Expo president and CEO, told MacCentral in an interview tonight from Boston. "We would love to have Apple participate in those events as they have for 18 straight years, but if for reasons unknown to us they decide not to come, we will go with 250 exhibitors instead of 251 exhibitors."

Greco said he did speak with officials from Apple today about the company's statement and their plans for future shows, but said nothing has been resolved yet. The two companies plan to meet again next week to continue discussing Apple's participation in future shows -- Greco said he was hopeful the situation could be resolved, but IDG was not going to change their plans.

"We don't plan to lower a single room block or cut any of the commitments we've made to the city of Boston," said Greco. "We're moving forward; we believe we have a hit on our hands in the city of Boston."

Since Apple's statement this morning saying they wouldn't attend a Macworld in Boston, Greco said he has received a lot of support from other developers that like the move to Boston. The message developers are giving him is that they will go to Boston whether Apple goes or not, according to Greco.

"We have an obligation to the Mac community on the East Coast to give the people that have been very loyal to the Mac platform a place to go so they can network, look at products and services, and see the other 250 exhibitors," Greco said.

Apple's statement earlier today indicated that the company was also re-evaluating the New York Expo next summer, but reaffirmed its commitment to the San Francisco show in January.

Contacted earlier today, an IDG representative was surprised by Apple's position and said the two companies had been in close contact throughout the negotiation process to bring the show to Boston.